The present invention comprises a new Pelargonium, botanically known as Pelargonium peltatum, and hereinafter referred to by the variety name ‘Zopflair’.
‘Zopflair’ is a product of a planned breeding program. The new cultivar has relatively large, double red-purple flowers, umbels held well above the foliage, having early to mid season flowering with medium green foliage with distinct zonation, and initially semi-upright then semi-trailing well-branched plant habit.
‘Zopflair’ originated from a hybridization made in May 2004 in a controlled breeding environment in Enkhuizen, Netherlands. The female parent was the commercial variety named ‘Sil Teske’, unpatented, having light lavender colored flowers, foliage with weak zonation and a medium to tall plant habit.
The male parent of ‘Zopflair’ was ‘Free Cherry Rose’, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,448 with double magenta colored flowers, foliage without zonation, and relatively small plant habit.
The resulting seeds were sown in December 2004 and ‘Zopflair’ was selected as one flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross in May 2005 in a controlled environment in Enkhuizen, Netherlands.
The first act of asexual reproduction of ‘Zopflair’ was accomplished when vegetative cuttings were propagated from the initial selection in September 2005 in a controlled environment in Enkhuizen, Netherlands.